Yemen · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
Houthis Say Washington Contacted Them After Advance Toward Bab Al-Mandab
Washington contacted the Houthis after their advance toward Bab al-Mandeb. Houthis pledged they would not target US ships in the Red Sea.
Whether messaging is framed as Houthi restraint or US-Houthi talks.
5 of 6 outlets skipped it: houthi attacks in Riyadh and Yanbu involved a 'large number' of missiles and drones.
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Same story, two versions
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Euronews
“We confirmed that we are not targeting the United States, or any other nation, in the strait, with the sole exception of the Saudi enemy,”Read the original ↗
CNBC
“Trump told Fox News on Sunday that he is in "constant communication" with the Houthis”Read the original ↗
Euronews emphasises Houthi pledges on targeting US ships; CNBC emphasises Trump's constant communication with the Houthis.
Trump cancels, Houthis vow
Yemeni Houthis said Washington contacted them after their rapid advance toward Bab al-Mandab, and Mohammed al-Bukaiti told audiences, "We confirmed that we do not target the United States, nor any other country in the strait, except the Saudi enemy." The Houthis also said they would keep attacking neighboring Saudi Arabia until Riyadh ends a siege for nearly ten years on areas under their control in Yemen and allows ships to reach Red Sea ports they control, after which they would be ready to negotiate. Reuters reported that Yemeni Houthi fighters sought to control strategic highlands to isolate the Red Sea coast from areas still under the control of Saudi-backed government forces.
“"We confirmed that we do not target the United States, nor any other country in the strait, except the Saudi enemy."”
Reuters also said four sources told it that Rashad al-Alimi, the internationally recognized Yemeni leadership council head and Saudi-backed, asked Trump during a telephone call yesterday for U.S. military assistance, while two sources said Trump did not make any direct pledge to provide military support. Reuters added that it could not verify a New York Times report that the Trump administration was preparing on Sunday to carry out airstrikes on the Houthis, but that Trump canceled the strikes at the last moment as troops were loading bombs onto aircraft.
US signals and Saudi pressure
A CNN report cited a US official saying the United States will not launch "offensive strikes" against Yemen's Houthi group, and it said US military support has so far been limited to providing Saudi Arabia with intelligence and targeting data. The CNN report also quoted a US official saying, "No offensive strikes," while Alex Plitsas said on CNN earlier that he had been told that US President Donald Trump held a meeting at Camp David on Saturday to discuss and review options for strikes in Yemen. The White House and the Pentagon did not publicly confirm Plitsas' claim, and the CNN report said the Trump administration has shown little willingness to become directly involved in the conflict.
The United States rejected repeated pleas from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to join the fighting in Yemen, and the Houthis have controlled the Yemeni capital since 2014. The United Nations says about 700 people have been killed and thousands wounded as fighting intensifies, while more than 130,000 Yemenis have been displaced within the country and more than 3,000 others have fled by boats across the Red Sea to Africa.
Energy stakes and UNGA
The Houthis' advance toward the Red Sea threatens to cut the main alternate route Saudi Arabia uses to export oil, bypassing disruptions of the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia responded by increasing shipments via the Hormuz, with satellite data showing Saudi exports via the Hormuz Strait reaching 2.9 million barrels per day in recent days, up from about 700,000 barrels per day in August. CNN said regional diplomacy ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York is expected to be dominated by discussions on Iran, Yemen, maritime security and energy markets, and it reported that Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan is leading a delegation.
The US State Department warned that the conflict "has the potential to escalate rapidly" and advised heightened vigilance, while the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a security alert restricting travel by US government personnel to the cities of Taif and Yanbu without special authorization. US President Donald Trump told Fox News he was in "deciding mode" and that "very big things" could happen soon, while Trump remained in contact with the Houthis and was still avoiding direct US military involvement in the group’s conflict with Saudi Arabia.